In the Rain
by Kikiam
Summary: Haruko forgets to bring her umbrella one rainy afternoon, and then... [non-yaoi] [RuHaru] [concluded]
1. A Rainy Afternoon

-----------------------------------------------------  
Title: In the Rain [1/?]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: Haruko forgets to bring her umbrella one rainy afternoon, and then...  
Notes: Inspired from the flu I'm having now and the rains outside... Set in their sophomore year. 'Nuff said.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.  
-----------------------------------------------------  
  
Haruko looked once more at the gray sky that enveloped probably most of Kanagawa. The sounds of the hard rain hitting against the ground and the booms of thunder harmonized into a depressing melody that rang through her ears. She was standing near the school entrance, waiting for the rain to stop. She sighed and tried to think of a way on how she could get home with and scolded herself why she had to forget her umbrella on such a day. She looked at her watch. 4:30. Maybe she could go to the gym and ask Ayako-san for some help. Oops.   
  
Practice was cancelled that day due to an impending storm. She could have gone home with her brother now, but the problem was, Akagi Takenori had gradated from Shohoku High School ten months ago.  
  
//How will I get home now?// Haruko looked around the lobby and found no one. Everybody else had gone home. Not all the students are asked by the teachers to stay over at school and get some scolding.  
  
She shifted her position uneasily and gazed outside. It was quite impossible for the rains to stop, much less, to quiet down. There was a storm coming. What else could possibly happen?  
  
//Haruko no baka,// she thought to herself. She had to leave now or the storm would only worsen.   
  
//I can always change into dry clothes when I get home.// She sighed again and slowly opened the door. The moment she did, strong winds rushed in front of her. It was too dangerous to go home alone, and without an umbrella to boot.  
  
Well, it was her fault in the first place.  
  
"Ike, Haruko," she calmly told herself. She thought that maybe she can run to the train station. That wasn't a very good idea but she had no choice. She slowly stepped out of the door and then started to make a run.  
  
She felt slashes of wind and water cut through her face. Her hair matted down her forehead, and so did the clothes on her body. Streaks of mud decorated her white socks, and even up to her skirt. After a few minutes, finally, she reached the gate. For her, though, it already seemed a kilometer's run.  
  
Haruko stopped for a while to catch her breath. No matter how fit she was, running in the rain wasn't an easy job.  
  
"Oi."  
  
She was surprised to hear another voice on the campus grounds and was shocked that it belonged to the person she least expected.  
  
Rukawa Kaede. He stood there in front of her, holding an umbrella as if answering her prayers.  
  
Haruko could barely speak. Rukawa Kaede was the most popular guy in Shohoku High School. He had black hair and cold, dark, blue eyes that sent a girl to heaven with each glare. Not only was he good-looking, he was also an outstanding basketball player. He had been popular enough during his freshman year, but now, he was all over campus. His popularity increased the Shohoku cheering squad enough to equal that of the almost all-girl Takezono High School. On top of that, he had been Haruko's crush since junior high school. That was probably something Rukawa knew, but decided to ignore.  
  
Or at least she thought he did, until now...  
  
"R-rukawa-k-kun," she managed to stammer. She couldn't help but blush to light shade of pink, though.  
  
"My house is near the train station. I can walk you up to that place."  
  
This sounded like a dream come true to Haruko. Her junior high school crush, the ace of the Shohoku basketball team, Rukawa Kaede, was offering to walk her to the train station. She wanted to do nothing but scream, and of course, get under the umbrella with Rukawa. She thought on how people would think if they see them walking underneath the same umbrella. They might look like a couple to them. They would look so close. She felt her cheeks flush up, and tried to push the idea of intimacy out of her mind.  
  
"Oi. "Do you want to or not?"  
  
Haruko was shaken out of her thoughts. Rukawa was starting to look impatient.  
  
"Ah, gomen..." Haruko said and went to Rukawa's side.  
  
"Ikou."  
  
They started to walk. Haruko knew that the train staion was only a 15-minute walk from the school. She sighed quietly. It was only going to be short. She had to make full use of it.  
  
Now, why would Rukawa offer to walk her to the train station? Maybe he felt sorry for her because she had no umbrella. Maybe Rukawa just wanted to help the former captain's sister. Or maybe he felt something special for her. Haruko beamed at the thought of the latter idea. Of course she wanted that to be true. She decided to take a gamble of her feelings, hoping that the last statement was so.  
  
She thought of something to say. "Anou... arigatou, Rukawa-kun," she managed to stammer again.  
  
Rukawa only remained quiet and continued to walk without saying a word.  
  
She could barely tell what Rukawa was thinking, while she was exploding with different emotions inside her. Her small body was pressed tightly against his hard and lean build and once in a while, his hand brushed against hers, giving Haruko a tingling sensation that seemed to send her to heaven. Ironically, his cold presence gave warmth to her wet and shivering body. Haruko couldn't have been more contented. She was probably the luckiest girl in the world. Now, if only she could get him to talk.  
  
"Anou... I think the team is doing well," she began, attempting to pull out some words from Rukawa.  
  
"Sure," was Rukawa's only reply.  
  
"Oniichan will be very happy if he sees you guys now. Miyagi-san is a very good captain. You and Sakuragi-kun are performing great, as well."  
  
"Yeah." There was no change in his voice at all. He only continued to look ahead and pay attention to the road.  
  
Haruko decided that her efforts to make Rukawa talk were futile. Meanwhile, the rain was getting worse and worse. Both of them were getting wet even with the umbrella. By the time they reached the train station, they were both soaking.  
  
Haruko's heart went down upon seeing that they were about to part. She wished that Rukawa would talk, even at this last moment. He acted so coldly like he usually did. Maybe Rukawa just felt sorry for her and nothing more. Just charity...  
  
"Here," Rukawa's voice suddenly said. She was surprised to hear him talk. She looked at him.  
  
Rukawa had gone out of the shelter of the umbrella and was handing it to her. "This will be of more use to you. My house is just a few blocks away, anyway. Take it."  
  
"But Rukawa-kun," Haruko protested.  
  
Rukawa gently pushed the umbrella to her face. "Take it. Don't make me feel responsible."  
  
She blushed and shakily took the umbrella from Rukawa's hand. "A-arigatou, Rukawa-kun." She gave a small guilty smile that begged forgiveness.  
  
"Don't be sorry." The cold voice seemed to scold her and comfort her at the same time. Haruko bowed her head.  
  
"Next time, don't froget to bring your umbrella," Rukawa said, then walked away, letting the rain fall on him. He walked with the same monotonous air, as if it was as sunny as summer.   
  
//Matte, Rukawa-kun...//   
  
Haruko followed him with her gaze and tightened her grip on the umbrella.   
  
//Matte... matte!//  
  
She wanted to run after him and thank him even more, and probably, finally confess to him. She suddenly wanted to give out everything she had felt for the past three years she had known him. It was a good chance. Kami-sama probbaly fabricated the whole thing for her. But it was too late.  
  
She stepped on the train without taking her gaze away from Rukawa. Slowly, he disappeared into the rain. Haruko could only blame herself for her own foolishness as she slowly wiped her face from something she couldn't distinguish beetween rain water and a tear drop.  
  
~Tsuzuku~ or ~Owari~ ?  
--------------------------------------------------------------  
translations:  
++ "anou..." - "uuuhhhmmm..."  
++ "arigatou" - "thank you."  
++ "Matte." - Wait."  
--------------------------------------------------------------  
P.S. Should I let this stand as oneshot or continue it? Please tell me what you think. 


	2. After the Storm

-----------------------------------------------------  
Title: In the Rain [2/?]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: Haruko forgets to bring her umbrella one rainy afternoon, and then...  
Notes: Inspired from the flu I'm having now and the rains outside... Set in their sophomore year. 'Nuff said.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.  
-----------------------------------------------------  
  
Rukawa opened the door of his house and grabbed a towel by the door to wipe the excess water on his skin. Outside, thunder clapped nearby, as if barely missing him. At the same time, the winds grew stronger and banged against the walls of his house. Well, now he was safe. He was glad to be home and ready to get dry.  
  
//She'll probably get home safely,// he thought to himself and looked outside. It was still quite early, but classes were suspended due to a coming storm. Instead of going home, though, he took the time to practice basketball alone in the gym. He stayed there for an hour until he decided that the rains were becoming too strong and he had to get home. He thought that everybody had left. Instead, he saw a lone figure running towards the school entrance from the lobby without an umbrella. He recognized the person to be Akagi Haruko, the younger sister of the former basketball team captain.  
  
For some strange reason, he offered to walk her to the train station, which was a few blocks from his house. And for reasons even less understandable, he gave her his umbrella at the train station and walked the rest of the way home welcoming all the rain in Kanagawa to his skin.   
  
Rukawa sighed and opened a can of Coke from the fridge. He hung the towel around his neck, then got the remote control to watch the news and lay himself lazily on the sofa. The lady on TV kept on blabbering how terrible the storm was becoming. Rukawa wanted to call her a big, fat doaho. One only needed to look outside to see that //it// was getting worse. He sighed again and then took another sip from his Coke.  
  
//Why?//  
  
His mind was slowly straying away from the news. Why did he help Haruko? Sure, offering to give her a walk in his umbrella sounded humane enough. Just an act of charity, yes. After all, they were both part of the basketball club. She was a manager while he was one of the players. But giving his umbrella to her all the way? It sounded totally strange of him. He would rarely sacrifice his own welfare for anybody, unless the person was extra special.  
  
//Akagi's extra special? Yeah, right.//  
  
Rukawa shook his head and smirked to himself. //Impossible.//  
  
//Akagi's just a teammate, that's all. And probably, a way to thank her brother.// That mere fact was the only thing that made her stand out from other girls, or at least, he thought. Of course, he knew that Haruko liked him, but that wasn't the point, as if there was something else that pushed him to do what he just did.  
  
//Naaahhh,// Rukawa denied to himself that there was indeed something else behind the action. He finished the rest of the can's contents and tossed it to the kitchen's trash bin just like the excellent basketball player he is.   
  
//A-arigatou, Rukawa-kun.// The image of the cold, shivering girl with an apologizing and guilty smile flashed across his mind. Honestly, did he really feel anything special for her?  
  
He switched the channel. All of them contained the same, leaving Rukawa nothing to do but to ponder. As he debated with himself, his eyelids began to get heavier, and today's events weighed heavily both on his mind and body. He eventually fell asleep on the couch without even changing to dry clothes.  
  
------------------------  
  
"Pass the ball to the right, Sasaoka, to Rukawa," Miyagi called his members to become more active in the practice game at hand. Outside, a light drizzle gave a gray feel to the people inside the gym, who were still practicing. The storm had already passed Kanagawa, but leftover monsoon rains were still nagging on them.  
  
Rukawa skillfully received his teammate's pass then jumped to make a shot.  
  
//K'so... What the hell am I thinking?//  
  
*SWISH! BAM!*  
  
His opponent, Sakuragi Hanamichi easily swat the ball away from his hands. His vision faltered, and he barely made it back to the floor on two feet.  
  
"Nice block, Sakuragi Hanamichi!" Ayako called from the sidelines.   
  
"Oi, Kitsune, what's the matter with you?" Sakuragi asked him with a tone of worry and annoyance. It wasn't an achievement to block his greatest rival when Rukawa didn't seem to be in top condition.  
  
"Shut up," Rukawa said quietly. The truth, however, was that he was feeling feverish and cold that day. He forgot to dry himself when he got home yesterday afternoon and woke up that morning with a light fever and a slight headache. He drank some aspirin thinking that the fever would subside in the afternoon, but instead, it only got worse. Now, it was affecting his play.   
  
Rukawa rushed to the other side to defend. He almost tripped. Nobody but Miyagi noticed, and he refused to speak. He only shook his head.  
  
His opponent was still Sakuragi. Rukawa tried to block him from passing or shooting with his body. He knew that he was moving too slow. Sakuragi knew that, too and attempted to make a jump shot. Rukawa jumped to block it.  
  
"No way, Kitsune!" Sakuragi said, and tossed the ball, which went into the ring beautifully.   
  
The fever, meanwhile, took its toll on Rukawa. His legs suddenly gave away and he landed on the gym floor hard on all fours. A cough came from his mouth.  
  
//K'so...//  
  
"Rukawa, you okay?" Everybody in the gym was alarmed. Their ace player failed to block Sakuragi, and this time, he almost fainted. Miyagi quickly appraoched him.  
  
"I'm fine..." he muttered and wiped his forehead. He was sweating really hard, considering that practice began only ten minutes ago. Everyone now formed a small circle around him and gazed worriedly. They made way when Ayako came with a first aid kit. She first touched Rukawa's forehead.  
  
"You're pretty warm. Probably a flu. Come with Haruko-chan to the clinic."  
  
Rukawa felt strange upon hearing Haruko's name, and quickly refused Ayako's commands. "I'm fine, Ayako-san..." He saw Haruko peering nervously over Ayako's shoulder. He looked away and pretended to check his knee and rubbed it pointlessly.  
  
"We have a game on the day after tomorrow," Miyagi added. "I'll be needing you on that day so you have to rest now. Haruko-chan..." he signalled the team's assistant manager to take Rukawa to the clinic. Haruko knelt beside Ayako and in front of Rukawa. "Ikou, Rukawa-kun."  
  
She kept her cheerful aura with her, as if nothing happened yesterday.   
  
//Well, nothing really happened yesterday..., was there anything?//  
  
"I'm fine," Rukawa tried to stand up abruptly. Instead, his vision flatered and fell again on the floor this time with his face flat on the floor.  
  
"Now, Rukawa," Ayako commanded him with a stern voice. This time, he knew that it was better that he obeyed her. He slowly stood up, and tried to avoid looking at Haruko as he followed her to the clinic.   
  
The clinic wasn't very far from the gym, but his condition made it seem miles away. Haruko's presence wasn't really of help. In fact, for some strange reason, he felt uneasy with her. He never felt this way before. It was as if he wanted to run away and hide.  
  
//Am I actually feeling shy? No way...//  
  
His vision, once more, as if on cue, faltered at the thought. He tripped. Haruko caught him from falling again. He felt himself tense upon her touch.  
  
"Careful..." she said and slowly raised him. Rukawa couldn't help but notice the light shade of pink on Haruko's cheeks. At the sight of this, he felt his own cheeks flush, too. He just hoped that if she ever saw it, she'd take it as an effect of the flu.  
  
They finally reached the clinic. The kind nurse showed them a bed where Rukawa could lie down for the rest of the afternoon until he was well enough to go home. Haruko took his temperature.  
  
"38.5 degrees Celsius," she read worriedly. She bowed her head and returned the thermometer to its container. "Gomen ne, Rukawa-kun."  
  
"What?" Rukawa looked out the window and gazed at the drizzle.  
  
"If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be sick right now."  
  
"It was my fault. I fell asleep and forgot to change my clothes," Rukawa answered her quietly. He was surprised at the way he wanted to keep Haruko from feeling responsible for his flu and at the amount of words he said.   
  
"No, it's my fault," she continued to protest.  
  
"No, it's mine."  
  
"No."  
  
"No."  
  
Rukawa felt himself blush even more and decided to turn his back against her to hide his reddening face.  
  
"Rukawa-kun..." he heard her slowly murmur his name, chokingly, as if she was keeping herself from crying. She probably thought he was mad at her. Rukawa wanted to cover his ears. Now he made her cry. This time, he was truly at fault. He tried to deny the fact.  
  
//What do I care, anyway?//  
  
The clinic was quiet, except for a small radio playing near the nurse's table. The lights dimly lit the small room and it gave an eerie feel to the place. Haruko refused to talk anymore, while Rukawa pretended to have fallen asleep and continued to think.  
  
//A lot. A hell lot.//  
  
~Tsuzuku~  
--------------------------------------------------  
translations:  
++ "K'so." - "shit", "damn", etc.  
--------------------------------------------------  
P.S. So, I decided to continue it after all. I think Rukawa's a bit OOC. Uh-oh... 


	3. A Sunny Day

-----------------------------------------------------  
Title: In the Rain [3/?]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: Haruko forgets to bring her umbrella one rainy afternoon, and then...  
Notes: Inspired from the flu I'm having now and the rains outside... Set in their sophomore year. 'Nuff said.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.  
-----------------------------------------------------  
Haruko softly knocked on the wooden door as she had been doing for the past fifteen minutes. Still, there was no answer. It was impossible that Rukawa lived alone. If that was so, then he wouldn't be able to take care of himself and recover for tomorrow's game.  
  
She knocked even louder and waited. Yesterday was terrible. After she brought Rukawa to the clinic, they had a small argument. It wasn't really anything big. They were just blaming themselves for his flu. It ended when Rukawa turned his back at her and slept. She still felt guilty, though, and went that Saturday afternoon to his house to check on him. She had never been there before, and she was quite excited to see where and how Rukawa lived. She brought a basket of fruits as a get-well-soon present. Well, she felt that she was going to be disappointed with all the waiting.  
  
She knocked again. This time, she heard steps coming down a wooden staircase.  
  
"Who is it?" The cold, quiet voice could have belonged only to one person.  
  
Haruko felt her heart beat faster upon hearing Rukawa's voice, although it sounded a bit funny becuase of the cold.  
  
"It's me, Haruko." Her voice was shaking, but she hoped that Rukawa wouldn't notice it.  
  
After that, she heard a series of thuds and crashes from inside, as if somebody fell down the stairs. She was worried that Rukawa might have gotten hurt, but suddenly shifted to nervousness when his towering figure cast a shadow over her when he opened the door.  
  
His hair was in a terrible mess and his eyes were bloodshot, which were only a few shades brighter than his swollen nose. Dark circles were around his eyes and his skin was pasty white. His clothes were the same as what he wore yesterday, except that he was barefoot now.  
  
"It's you,' he said with a weak yet cold voice. "Come in."  
  
Haruko nodded and follwed Rukawa inside. The house was big but it was dimly lit and a total mess. The sofa wasn't aligned with the carpet. The throw pillows were everywhere except on the sofa. Foils of junk food wrappers lay around and several crumbs of their contents were scattered beside them. The kitchen, as it was viewed from the living room seemed worse.  
  
"Sit here," Rukawa muttered as he removed several articles to make way for Haruko to sit down. "I'll get you something to drink..." He immediately left for the kitchen.  
  
"Never mind," Haruko tried to stop him, and followed him to the kitchen. She saw Rukawa shakily pouring water into a glass. He didn't seem to notice her.  
  
"You live alone?" Haruko managed to ask.  
  
"My parents are away on business trip." His hands were shaking visibly, spilling much water.  
  
"I'll do that for you," Haruko went near him to get it from him. "You need to take a rest. Miyagi-san told me to come here and check on you," she added, lying. She needed a valid excuse to give him for coming there.  
  
"No, I'm fine. I can play tomorrow," Rukawa gave her a glare that told her to leave.   
  
"You're not." Haruko couldn't believe that she was actually saying these words, and that she hadn't melted yet in front of Rukawa. His cold eyes seemed to pierce into her like a knife, making her heart beat faster. She stood her ground, however. She didn't want to waste this chance as she had wasted the one during that rainy afternoon. She wanted to be with him as long as possible, and maybe finally tell him everything she felt for him. At the same time, she hoped to know if there was something that Rukawa felt for her, no matter how small it was and no matter how bleak the chances were.  
  
"Fine, then, I'll rest upstairs. Do whatever you want." Haruko noticed that Rukawa was forcing himself to be fierce and mean, but this time, his defenses didn't seem so keen and Haruko saw right through him.  
  
"Fine."  
  
Haruko smiled. She now had the perfect idea on how to spend her Saturday afternoon.  
  
--------------  
  
//Damn, what's she doin' here?// Rukawa banged the door to his room. True enough, he was sick, and he needed help right now. He was just sleeping and drinking aspirin the whole day, but he had no decent food to eat since he was too weak to cook his own food.  
  
Yesterday's events flashed through his mind. After pretending to have fallen asleep, Haruko left a few minutes later and left him to be cared for by the nurse. He wanted her to come back and talk, since he knew that she still felt guilty, but his body and part of his mind told him not to. Not yet.  
  
He felt his knees shake again, almost making him fall to the floor. His body still felt too weak. He knew better than to fight it. His stomach grumbled.   
  
//Hot chicken soup. Mmhhmmm...// He thought if he could fix himself chicken soup later, but recalled that his hands were shaking too much.  
  
//Perfect timing. I get down with a flu when my mom and dad leave...//  
  
He needed someone to cook for him. Well, he couldn't ask her, could he?  
  
//What? There's nothing wrong with that...//  
  
//Yeah. Nothing... Ayako-san takes care of us all the time. How different would it be if she does?//  
  
Rukawa shook his head. //Iiya da...//  
  
He sat down on his bed and grabbed the basketball lying on the floor. He gripped it, or so he tried. He felt too weak. The ball fell from his hands. He wouldn't be able to play tomorrow if he remained in this condition. He lay himself down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. //Damn... What should I do? Wonder if she left already?//  
  
He tried to hear if there were sounds of anybody downstairs. He heard nothing, as if he was all alone again. Maybe she was already gone. He needed to go down and check it out.  
  
//No way...// What if she's still downstairs? He wanted to avoid contact with her as much as possible, especially after what happened yesterday. He didn't know why. Maybe he needed to clear up his feelings and decide if he really felt something for her or not. Having her around might give him a biased decision.   
  
He lay on his bed, thinking if he should go down or not.   
  
//Heck, it's my house. I can make her leave...//  
  
//I can't be that mean, can I?//  
  
//'Something' might happen. Oh, shit... What am I thinking?//  
  
//She doesn't mean anything bad...//  
  
//A guy and a girl, alone in a house...? Hentai...//  
  
//*grumble*roar* I want some chicken soup...//  
  
Two hours passed. He eventually fell asleep with these thoughts in mind. When he awoke, he still didn't hear anything, except for his own stomach. Aspirin wasn't enought to keep his stomach contented. He looked at his hands if they still shook. Well, not anymore.   
  
He stood up. He was feeling a bit better. Maybe the fever had gone down a bit. He was well enough to fix maybe some fried eggs. They would do, despite the fact that he was aching for chicken soup. He decided to change his clothes first to a nice flannel shirt and jogging pants, then got out of the room and hopped down the stairs.   
  
A nice familiar scent wafted across his nose as he went down. When he was near the bottom, he got a view of the living room.  
  
//Shit. Is this my house?//  
  
The sofa was aligned with the carpet and the throw pillows were arranged neatly on it. The junk food wrappers were gone, and so were the softdrink cans. On the small table at the center lay a small vase of fresh flowers from his mother's little flower garden.   
  
He took a peek into the kitchen. He saw no one, but the scent grew stronger.  
  
//Could it be...//  
  
"Feeling better?" a voice suddenly asked from behind him.   
  
Rukawa felt every hair in his body stand up, and almost jumped with surprise.  
  
Haruko was standing in front of him, with his mom's apron on her. She was holding a small rag and was smiling cheerfully at him.  
  
"A bit," he managed to answer and looked away quickly. "You cleaned my house?"  
  
"Well, I needed something to do."  
  
"You could have left."  
  
A short period of silence followed, and increased the growing tension in the air. Rukawa simply looked at the windows, avoiding Haruko's gaze. To keep himself from looking at her, he concentrated himself on recognizing what the smell from the kitchen was.   
  
Haruko was the one to break the silence. "I cooked some chicken soup for you. Want to eat?"  
  
Rukawa gulped. So that was the smell, and exactly as what he wanted, as if she read his mind while he was asleep. At that moment, he wanted to refuse her offer. He felt embarassed abiut letting Haruko cook for him. At the same time, his stomach grumbled upon hearing about the soup. His knees shook again, as if his fever was rising. His body seemed to threaten him to take the chicken soup or it won't let the fever subside. He was left with no choice.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"That's good."  
  
Rukawa went to the kitchen and took a bowl, but there was already one on the table. Haruko simply poured the soup in and handed him a spoon.  
  
"Hope you like it. There's still more if you want."  
  
"Yeah..." Rukawa took a bite. "It's good."  
  
Rukawa continued to gobble down the soup. With every bite, he felt his fever go down one degree celsius on the thermometer. His clogged nose seemed to clear up, and all the red veins in his eyes disappeared. Every tired area of his body felt rejuvenated. It was a quick recovery. He'd surely be able to play tomorrow.  
  
Both of them remained quiet, though. Rukawa was too engrossed with his chicken soup, while Haruko only seemed to watch him, as if she was waiting for something.   
  
Fifteen minutes passed. Rukawa was halfway through his second bowl.  
  
"Well, I guess it's time for me to go now," Haruko said. Rukawa noticed a tone in her voice, though he couldn't put his finger on what it was.  
  
Rukawa didn't answer. Haruko stood still for a few seconds, but he continued to eat as if no one was there.  
  
"Ja ashita ne," she said, then continued to the door. She went out quietly.  
  
//This is great... wait... 'forgot to thank her.// Rukawa dropped the spoon into the bowl and was shocked when it came to his mind that he hadn't even shown a sign of gratitude to her.  
  
//Shit.// He ran towards the door and looked outside. It was already dark. The moon shone brightly as the stars. These were complemented by the lights from inside the neighboring houses, with families having their dinners already. It didn't look too dark. In fact, the mood of the night was a happy one. However, there was no sign of any person walking on the street.   
  
//She's gone.// Rukawa clenched his fists, for some reason. He felt mad at himself, and at the same time regretful and guilty. He shouldn't have wished her to leave. Now she did.  
  
Two blocks away from his house, a party was being held. The noises and the sounds floated across the street and rang across his ears. They gave a joyful tone to the people on the street. There were shouts and laughs, and he even imagined that he could smell the food. Anyone would have smiled and celebrated, since the storm just passed, and now it was over. The day had been bright and good, and showed great promise for the days to come.   
  
There was one person, though, who couldn't bring himself to smile, nor feel even a bit happy, no matter how good that day had been for him.  
-----------------------------------------------------------  
translations:  
++ "ja ashita ne." - "see you tomorrow."  
----------------------------------------------------------- 


	4. Chronic Illness

-----------------------------------------------------  
Title: In the Rain [4/?]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: Haruko forgets to bring her umbrella one rainy afternoon, and then...  
Notes: Inspired from the flu I'm having now and the rains outside... Set in their sophomore year. 'Nuff said.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.  
-----------------------------------------------------  
  
The crowd roared once more.   
  
For the nth time in the game, Rukawa Kaede made another powerful dunk into the hoop, and this time, sending his opponent flat on the floor.   
  
"He's in top condition, all right," Miyagi commented with a smile and wiped the sweat on his forehead. Only five minutes were left, and they were leading by twelve points against Miuradai, an old rival of Shohoku.  
  
"Damn fox," Sakuragi muttered, getting jealous once again. He took a look at Haruko, who was watching from the sidelines. Surprisingly enough, she wasn't looking at Rukawa, but just staring off into space. Sakuragi's feelings rose.   
  
//Maybe Haruko-san finally realized that I'm better than that fox. Nyahahahahahahahaha!!!//  
  
-------------  
  
//Trying to impress me? Tough luck, Rukawa-kun. It doesn't work anymore.//  
  
Haruko wrote down Rukawa's 56th point in the game with a smirk on her face. Ayako noticed that smirk and looked curiously at her.  
  
"What's the matter, Haruko-chan? You don't seem to like Rukawa's impressive performance today."  
  
Haruko merely shook her head and said nothing. Meanwhile, Miyagi made a successful lay-up. She wrote it down without even looking at the game.  
  
Yesterday's events flashed across her mind. She did so much for Rukawa. She cleaned his house, she cooked for him, and what did she get? Nothing but a flat, cold stare. There was not a single sign of appreciation, nor gratitude. In fact, he even suggested that she left. And to think that she spent the whole afternoon for him. What she did yesterday was beyond the duties of a team manager, in fact, almost the same as the duties of a friend. And he didn't even act one bit friendly towards her. He talked to her like she was a soldier from an enemy country.  
  
Okay, fine, she appreciated that he tried to give her water and he gave her a damn umbrella when she forgot to bring hers. But she did thank him for that. Now why wouldn't he even say a small "arigatou" or something. She knew she deserved that. How cold could he be?  
  
She recalled all her past encounters with Rukawa. One was her first day in Shohoku High School. She thought Sakuragi had beaten Rukawa up, and faced dire consequences. She screamed harsh words at Sakuragi and tried to help Rukawa. Of course, he turned her away, saying that he was fine, despite the blood on his face. Back then, Haruko felt hurt, but only a bit. In fact, negligible. She forgot about the whole incident and continued to love him like he was an angel sent by Kami-sama to bring her happiness. She cheered for him in all of his games, and prayed with all her heart that he wins them. She even became a team manager to help him. Only until yesterday did she continue to believe that. And then, she realized that she had been loving nothing but a stone, and it wasn't helping anybody. She was only hurting herself, making believe that Rukawa would someday show appreciation for all that she did.  
  
//I didn't know it hurt until I realized that it was already bleeding. I hate him. I hate him so much...//  
  
Yes. It was like some chronic illness. She saw the signs, yet she chose to ignore them, since she thought that they really didn't hurt. But now, it was too late to realize that.  
  
//How could I have been so blind?//  
  
Ayako looked at Haruko. She noticed that she was lost in her thoughts. She sinmply shrugged her shoulders slightly in wonder.  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
Rukawa took another pass and then raced towards the hoop.   
  
//No guard again?//  
  
He jumped and gave another dunk.   
  
"Damn fox!" he heard Sakuragi shout.  
  
At the corner of his eye, Rukawa looked at Haruko. Her face was buried in the notebook that kept all the records of their scores. She didn't seem to be paying attention.  
  
//Damn, it ain't working.//  
  
For the first time in his life, Rukawa played his very best to impress a girl. Of course he always played his best, but his main reason was to win. Now, he was playing to catch Haruko's attention. It wasn't like him to do that. In fact, it sounded like something that Sakuragi would do. However, he had to do at least something to say sorry and thank her for yesterday, which he foolishly forgot to do.  
  
//She probably hates me now... Shit...//  
  
Fate was playing a cruel game against him. Yesterday, he ate some chicken soup made by Haruko, which miraculously cured him of his flu. Actually, his nose was till a bit runny, but he was well enough to play a tough game. And of course, he was motivated.  
  
At the same time, he realized that he actually liked her. He'd been feeling that way for so long already, but he just didn't notice. When he gave her the umbrella, it was a subconscious manifestation of how he really felt for her. And now that she despised him, the feeling surfaced and showed itself. Fate was indeed playing a cruel game.  
  
It was just like a chronic illness, he saw the signs, but he chose to ignore them, because they really didn't seem to affect him much. By the time he realized, it was already too late.  
  
Impressing her in today's game was Rukawa's Plan A to thank her and say sorry. Plan B was to go to her and personally and do what he had to. He guessed that she wasn't getting the message, so he had to switch to the last thing he wanted to do: Plan B.  
  
//And 'fess up? No way...//  
  
Rukawa desperately tried to shake the idea out of his head and took another pass. He lost concentration on the game at the thought of confessing to her. He was sure of himself, all right, however...  
  
//Maybe if I thanked her, I could. Maybe if I wasn't so mean then I would. Hey, since when did I become so poetic?//  
  
"Oi, Rukawa, pass!"  
  
Rukawa threw the ball without looking and then realized that he had passed it to his opponent. He wanted to hit himself. He was letting Haruko distract him, and that never happened before. It was proof that he was feeling something for her now.   
  
//I gotta do something.//  
  
"Oi, Rukawa!"  
  
It was Yasuda, passing the ball to him. The ball had already been thrown when he noticed. When he raised his hands to catch it, it was already too late, and it passed over his head and into the hands of Miuradai's center player effortlessly. He made a successful lay-up, thus, decreasing the lead to fourteen.  
  
Twenty seconds before the game ended, Coach Anzai had Rukawa subbed out. It seemed that he wasn't well enough to play. Yesterday's flu was catching up on him again. He was giving all his passes to his opponents and missling all of his shots. Well, at least, Shohoku won. 99 to 75.  
  
~Tsuzuku~  
---------------------------- 


	5. Vindictive Heart

-----------------------------------------------------  
Title: In the Rain [5/?]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: Haruko forgets to bring her umbrella one rainy afternoon, and then...  
Notes: Inspired from the flu I'm having now and the rains outside... Set in their sophomore year. 'Nuff said.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.  
-----------------------------------------------------  
The rains were at it again. It was pouring all over Kanagawa. Haruko raced towards her house. She came from the grocery to buy a few supplies. On her way home, the sky darkened, and thus, rain fell. It wasn't that strong, only a light drizzle, but it was enough to drench her, especially now that she forgot her umbrella... again.  
  
A week had already passed since the time she forgot to bring an umbrella to school. She didn't let those events dwell in her mind, though.  
  
Her house finally came into view. She gave a small sigh of relief. She was surprised, however, to see a tall figure standing in front of their gate. A black umbrella covered his face. He wore a black jacket and dark blue pants.   
  
//Oniichan?// she thought. It was about time that her older brother paid them a visit. He had been staying in the dormitory for a month now, and had only been calling since. Nobody else was home, so that was probably the rason he was standing outside the gate. She smiled at the thought and increased her pace. When she was about a meter away, she called him.  
  
"Oniichan!"  
  
The figure turned to see her. It wasn't Takenori Akagi, but someone else, someone she never expected to see on that exact spot.  
  
"Rukawa-kun?"  
  
-------------------------  
  
Rukawa, at that moment, wanted to cover his face. The scene were so familiar. Here he was, once more, standing in the rain, with an umbrella, facing Akagi Haruko without hers, wet to the last hair.   
  
//All right, Kaede. Here's your friggin' chance.//  
  
The past week had been the worst for him. He had been debating if he should approach her and talk to her, but another side of him told him to leave it as it is. He didn't know if it was good to have let the other side win, but the justification of doing so was that he could let the matter with Haruko leave his mind after this was over. He planned to forget the whole thing right after it would be settled.  
  
"Uuhh... hello," he said quietly. //Idiot. Can't you say anything better?//  
  
"May I help you?" Haruko asked. Unlike the last time, she wasn't blushing or squirming as he had noticed. Instead, she sounded cold as if he was someone she never even knew.  
  
"I came to get my umbrella." //And say sorry and thank you for last week and... shit...//  
  
"Come in." She led him to the door without saying a word.  
  
Rukawa didn't answer and silently followed her inside.   
  
//Say it.//  
  
//Say it.//  
  
//Say it.//  
  
//Say it.//  
  
"Wait here," Haruko told him, pointing to the neat sofa. He did as what he was told and watched her go up the stairs. When she was gone, he gave a deep sigh and scolded himself.  
  
//Damn.//  
  
-------------------  
  
//What could he be doing here?// Haruko asked herself as she changed into dry clothes.   
  
//I came to get my umbrella.// Haruko recalled Rukawa's words. But what kind of idiot would go all the way to her place just to get an umbrella? Well, okay, fine, it had been a week since Rukawa gave her that umbrella. She couldn't return it becuase she had been avoiding him during the past week, for some reasons she didn't want to admit...  
  
She wanted to get Rukawa out of her house as soon as possible. She just wanted to keep herself away from him.   
  
//Maybe I can give him a taste of his own medicine...//  
  
-------------------  
  
Rukawa nervously sat on the sofa in Haruko's house. Anyone who could have seen him at that moment would have mistaken him for someone else. He sat there without leaning on the sofa, with his arms tucked tightly near his stomach and the way his legs were stuck together could easily trick a person that he was wearing a skirt instead of a pair of pants. His face, as usual, was emotionless, but the rest of his body and his skin color (which was _even_ paler than usual) easily gave away his current state of mind.  
  
//Shit, what'll I do? Yeah, I'll get the umbrella, then say thanks and apologize. Yeah, that's it... And that's all... Nothing else... After that, go home.//  
  
He was never really good at saying things, so he thought that he better not say it at all.  
  
It had been fifteen minutes since Haruko left him there. He felt like she was deliberately making him wait. Who would take fifteen minutes just to get an umbrella? Well, not her, at least, not under these circumstances. Rukawa looked at his watch. It was 3:30 in the afternoon. He had nothing decent to do at home expcept to sleep. Secretly, he wanted to make this surprise visit a long one.   
  
He really didn't mind waiting, but what if Haruko had something else in mind?  
  
"Here it is," a voice suddenly shook him out of his thoughts. Haruko was walking down the stairs holding the umbrella he gave her last week. Rukawa stood up to take it from her. She handed it to her near the end of the staircase without looking at him. He tried to catch her gaze, but it always escaped, as if trying to avoid him.  
  
"Uh, yeah..." was all he could say. He tucked the umbrella into his jacket. Instead of leaving though, he stood there in front of her.  
  
//Doaho. Uhhh, why are you standing like that?//  
  
"May I help you with anything else?" Haruko asked him. She wasn't really cold but there was no definite tone or emotion in her voice. It was just flat, like a tired receptionist talking to a guest in the hotel.  
  
"I... I..." Rukawa stammered a bit. //Can't say it... shit...//   
  
Haruko looked around her house, as if she was getting impatient.  
  
"I... uuhhmmm..."  
  
"Well, maybe you could leave." Her hands were on her hips.  
  
This time, the coldness was there. At the same time there was anger and hatred. Rukawa was shocked, but of course, his face didn't show any signs of it. He just looked away.  
  
It was the first time he ever felt rejection in his life. Maybe it really wasn't rejection, but it felt like it. He felt hurt of course. Haruko didn't even let him speak. Maybe she was mad at him for failing to say thanks. He was here to do that but she suddenly asked him to leave. How would he say that now?  
  
//Well, I sort of deserve it, but... isn't this too much?//  
  
"Yeah, I'll go now..." Rukawa walked towards the door. He wanted so much to look at her again, to see if she still looked mad or if she went off already. He decided not to, though. He thought it would only make matters worse. He silently slipped his feet into his shoes, opened the door and left without saying a word.  
  
//Oh, great.//  
  
//Plan B failed.//  
  
//Shit.//  
  
Instead of heading straight home, Rukawa went to the Starbucks branch beside the train station and bought two servings of some warm Espresso coffee. He surely didn't want to sleep soundly that night.  
  
~Tsuzuku~  
------------------------------ 


	6. A Twist

-----------------------------------------------------  
Title: In the Rain [6/?]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: Haruko forgets to bring her umbrella one rainy afternoon, and then...  
Notes: Inspired from the flu I'm having now and the rains outside... Set in their sophomore year. 'Nuff said.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.  
-----------------------------------------------------  
Haruko's vision blurred once more.  
  
"SLAM DUNK!" Sakuragi's voice rang throughout the gymnasium, breaking the monotonous patter of the rains outside. It was yet again, another rainy day. Dark clouds once more covered the sky of Kanagawa, and nobody could help but give a light shiver. Captain Miyagi decided to hold a practice game for the basketball team to light up their moods despite the gloomy feel of the environment.  
  
"Nice one, Hanamichi," Miyagi praised him with a pat on the back.The great tensai beamed with pride and laughed out loud. "NYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"  
  
"Ne, Haruko-chan?" Miyagi added and winked at Haruko, who was standing behind Ayako on the sidelines. Haruko only smiled back weakly which made Sakuragi blush. Menawhile, she continued to watch the ongoing practice game between the Shohoku team members.  
  
Haruko was feeling a little feverish that day. Yesterday's drizzle gave her a slight cold when she woke up in the morning, and by afternoon, it had worsened into a flu. She thought of asking permission from Miyagi-san to go home, but decided otherwise. Her vision blurred once in a while, and during a few moments, she even felt like collapsing to the floor.  
  
"Haruko-chan, the time," Aytako reminded her. She noticed that Haruko didn't seem to be herself that day and she was quite concerened.  
  
"Ah, yes, sorry," Haruko looked at the stopwatch. Only two minutes remained. She hoped the game would end even sooner so she could finally go home.  
  
"RUKAWA-KUUUNNN!!!" a blunch of girls by the school gym's doors screamed. Haruko looked to see what was happening. The ball was in Rukawa's hands and he was racing across the court to make a fast break all by himself. Sakuragi and Kakuta were already guarding the inside area. When Rukawa jumped to attempt a lay-up, both of them jumped to block him.  
  
"No way, Kitsune!" shouted Sakuragi. His arm was raised, ready to swat the ball away.  
  
//He'd still get it in,// Miyagi thought as he watched the game.  
  
Rukawa did. He passed his arm between the two and lay the ball into the hoop successfully. All the people in the gym were shocked. Most of the girls screamed while the others' eyes were as wide as saucers.  
  
"RUKAWA-KUUUNNN!!!"  
  
"Ah, yes, I remember that!" Ayako exclaimed, recalling last year's game with Shoyo High School. Rukawa had done the same exact move back then and it was surprising and impressive. Now that he had done it again, it wasn't very surprising anymore. But still, it was impressive.  
  
"Teme, Kitsune!" Sakuragi almost screamed at him in anger. Two other members of the Shohoku High School had to hold him back.  
  
"Doaho..." Rukawa muttered.  
  
Haruko, meanwhile, upon seeing Rukawa's feat, felt her heart skip a beat, and her face flush red.  
  
//Why am I feeling this way? I'm supposed to be mad at him.//  
  
//But it _is_ truly impressive.//  
  
//Hah! He's just showing off again.//  
  
//So cool...//  
  
//He could've passed it to his teammates instead.//  
  
//Those blue eyes... they're just so...//  
  
//He's so selfish and arrogant...//  
  
//This is hopeless, I'm getting too dizzy...//  
  
//Damn rains...//  
  
'I came to get my umbrella.'  
  
Haruko remembered yesterday. Rukawa went to her house to get the umbrella he lent her last week. He didn't stay very long, rather, he she didn't let him. He only stayed there for thirty minuts. She was cruel enough yesterday to give him a taste of his own medicine and gave cold words that would sort of drive him away, just like he did. He didn't seem to mind it. His face remained the same: pale, cold and emotionless. He was just a stone, after all.  
  
Bu then, he looked like he was about to say something. After all, he couldn't have gone all the way just to get his umbrella back.  
  
//What could that have been?//  
  
At the back of her mind, Haruko wondered if she had been able to hurt his feelings, if there were any. Part of her rejoiced at the thought, while another part felt horrified. She never wanted to hurt him, but she felt that she just had to wake up.  
  
//C'mon, Haruko. Welcome to the real world. You can't pretend that you ain't hurt with his attitude.//  
  
//You're juts a human, after all. You do get hurt, no matter how you fool yourself.//  
  
//But Rukawa _is_ human, too...//  
  
"Haruko-chan, the time!" Ayako reminded her again, thus, shaking her out of her thoughts.  
  
Haruko mentally scolded herself for letting her thoughts carry her away. "Three seconds left, Ayako-san."  
  
Three... Two... One...  
  
"GAME OVER!" Miyagi called. The score was 74 to 71, with Rukawa's team as the victor. Sakuragi flared up in anger as he tried to hit Rukawa again. Rukawa, on the other hand, went off to wipe his face with a towel and muttered, "doaho," under his breath. Outside, the rain continued to fall.  
  
And at that same moment, Haruko collapsed on the floor.  
  
~Tsuzuku~  
------------------------------------------------ 


	7. I Can't

-----------------------------------------------------  
Title: In the Rain [7/8]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: Haruko forgets to bring her umbrella one rainy afternoon, and then...  
Notes: Inspired from the flu I'm having now and the rains outside... Set in their sophomore year. 'Nuff said.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.  
-----------------------------------------------------  
"Haruko-san!" Sakuragi, deeply concerned, quickly went over to Haruko. The fact that they lost seemed to have been instantly erased from his mind.  
  
The whole team quickly formed a circle around her, trying to see what happened. Rukawa, however, remained a few meters outside the circle, holding the ball in his hands.  
  
Of course he was worried. He just didn't want to show it after what happened yesterday.  
  
//Why was she so mean?// he thought to himself. The Haruko he saw yesterday was totally different. Although he never really got close to her, he knew Haruko to be a sweet, kind and gentle girl. Yesterday, she seemed cold and heartless.  
  
//Cold and heartless...// He realized that those were the traits he always portrayed. Now he knew how he had been treating other people, especially Haruko. It was terrible. He didn't know that he had become so cold.  
  
"Rukawa!" he heard Ayako call him and was jolted back to reality. He quickly approached her to avoid the wrath of her paper fan. She was standing beside Haruko, who was already sitting on a chair with her head buried in her hands, breathing heavily.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Bring Haruko-chan to the clinic."  
  
"Huh?" The command caused all of his limited vocabluary to disappear and all of his senses to stop. The events were becoming to familiar.   
"Me?"  
  
"Yes, you," Ayako answered with a look on her face that said, "Duh, earth to Rukawa Kaede."  
  
Sakuragi, hearing them, quickly volunteered. "I can bring her to the clinic, Ayako-san!"  
  
"No, Rukawa will."  
  
With those words, Sakuragi flared up. "Teme, Kitsune Otoko!" He was about to hit Rukawa for the third time that day, but Miyagi was quick to stop him.  
  
"How dare you question Aya-chan's decision!" Just like Sakuragi, he was flaring up. "Hora, hora! Back to practice!"  
  
"No way! Haruko-saaann!!!!" Kakuta, Shiozaki and Ishii had to hold him with all their might.  
  
"Shut up!" Miyagi shouted angrily. "Or else, I'll make you practice BASIC dribbling again!"  
  
"But Ryochin...!"  
  
"Ignore those two," Ayako said with a vein popping out of her forehead. "Bring Haruko-chan now."  
  
Haruko suddenly spoke up. "I'll go there by myself. It's only a little aspirin," she said without looking at the two of them.  
  
"No, I think you should lie down, Haruko-chan," objected Ayako. "Come on, Rukawa."  
  
Rukawa didn't know what to do. He certainly wanted to avoid her after what happened yesterday. At the same time, he didn't want Haruko, or probably anyone for that matter, to walk alone in the hallway in that condition. He also disliked the thought of Ayako's paper fan on his head.  
  
"C'mon, Akagi," Rukawa said quietly and offered his hand. He looked the same, cold and emotionless, but inside, he was hesitant and nervous. He hoped that Ayako wouldn't notice anything.  
  
Upon the mention of her name. Haruko looked up at him and glared into his eyes angrily, then she shoved his hand away.  
  
"I can stand up by myself."  
  
She did and quickly walked towards the door, leaving both Rukawa and Ayako dazed at the unusually cold attitude. The other people in the gym noticed this, as well.  
  
He was rejected... again.  
  
"Oi, Kitsune! You made Haruko-san mad! K'soooo!!!!" Kakuta, Shiozaki, Ishii and this time, even Miyagi, had to hold him back.  
  
On the other hand, Ayako recovered from her surprise and hit Rukawa on the head with her paper fan, which in turn, made him recover, as well. "What are you staring at? Go and follow her."   
  
"Y-yes..." Rukawa said, and followed Haruko to the clinic. He heard Sakuragi screaming angrily after him.  
  
"Oi, Kitsune! If anything happens to Haruko-san, you're dead! Teme, Kitsune! K'soooooo!!!!! Temeeee!!! Oi, Ishii, let goooo!"  
  
"Doaho..." Rukawa muttered under his breath as he walked as fast as he could to catch up with Haruko.  
  
---------------------  
  
//What was Ayako-san thinking?// Haruko thought to herself as she struggled to walk towards the clinic. She couldn't understand why she suddenly felt so weak. She knew she fainted, then woke up on a chair and saw Ayako telling everyone to get back to practice, except for Rukawa, whom she summoned to bring Haruko to the clinic.   
  
She was annoyed with him. How could he dare treat her like that after all that happened? Did he think she was just any other girl who'd accept such a pathetic excuse for charity? She was glad he didn't call her by her first name. That meant he wasn't being, in any way, friendly towards her.  
  
A part of her, though, sank at the thought. He didn't seem to have any plans to be friendly with her, all right.  
  
"Oi," the silent but familiar voice called after her.   
  
One of the fluorescent lights flickered.   
  
She knew it was Rukawa, following her and he was catching up quickly. Without looking, Haruko tried to increase her pace, but her condition kept her from doing so. After a few seconds, Rukawa was already beside her.  
  
"You shouldn't walk too fast." His voice was quiet but somewhow, it didn't feel too cold for Haruko. Once gain, he was offering his hand to her.  
  
//Is there anyhting different with him?//  
  
But her colder side got the better of Haruko. "Go away." She tried to avoid his gaze, but then she realized that he was avoiding hers, as well.  
  
"I can't," he answered. His gaze was directed towards the end of the hallway.  
  
"And why can't you?"  
  
"A-Ayako-san told me to bring you to the clinic."  
  
//Hesitation? Rukawa being hesitant?//  
  
"Well, go back and tell her I'm fine." Both of them couldn't look at each other. Haruko's gaze was directed towards the _other_ end.  
  
"I can't."  
  
"Can't you say anything else other than that?" Haruko was quite surprised with the words. Never in her life had she imagined herself to be that cold.   
  
At the question, Rukawa shifted his gaze and looked at her. "I can't."  
  
//I can't...// Involuntarily, her face moved and then she realized that she was looking back at him. His blue orbs held her gaze and refused to let it look at anything other than them.  
  
//I can't be like this...//  
  
Haruko felt her heart skip another beat. He was looking straight at her, she knew it. She was trying to avoid looking at him, but she lost all the coldness she had mustered up in the past few days and could see his intense blue eyes looking right into hers.   
  
//I just can't...//  
  
The way his eyes locked hers... It was different... It wasn't cold, nor was it warm... there was something else, the look meant something else, something that could never be expressed in words, but just by the intetnsity of his eyes...  
  
//I can't...//  
  
"Leave me alone!" Haruko pushed Rukawa away and tried to run from him. She couldn't stand it. She didn't want to admit that she was falling for him again. She didn't want to realize that she really didn't hate him and that she was just fooling herself that she had finally gotten over her feelings.   
  
//I can't...!// Tears fell from her eyes as she raced with through the hallway with every ounce of strength she had left. After just a few seconds, though, her knees gave away, and she fell on the tiled floor.   
  
Before she could stand up, a hand was already in front of her, offering to help her stand up.   
  
"We're here." Haruko looked around and saw that they were already in front of the clinic's doorway.  
  
"Now, leave," she tried to contain her sniffs and kept her gaze towards the floor.  
  
"I can't."  
  
"Leave!"  
  
"I can't."  
  
"Just leave me!"  
  
"I cant. You didn't just leave me the last time."  
  
Haruko looked at Rukawa in surprise. She couldn't believe her ears. Was it really Rukawa who was standing in front of her, offering his hand to her, saying those words? It sounded so scripted, as if it was a line from an old romance movie. It wasn't like him at all...  
  
Her mind was starting to burst with questions, and as much as she tried to, she couldn't contain them.  
  
"Then why did you want me to leave, then?"  
  
Rukawa didn't answer. His face remained still, but he shifted his gaze to the left, as if avoiding her look again. This time, it was her turn to attempt to lock her own gaze into his. She wanted Rukawa to face her, and answer the question directly, with words, and not with anyhting else.  
  
"Answer me, Rukawa-kun. Why?"  
  
//Silence? Can't you say anything? Are you mute or something?//  
  
"I can't," Rukawa answered again. Haruko tried to catch his gaze but it seemed to evade her everytime she tried.  
  
"Why did you--- I mean, do you have to be so cold? Why do you have to reject me everytime I try to help you? Why do you ignore me when I try to approach you? Why do you look away when I talk to you? Why do you have to..."  
  
"I-I..."  
  
"Why do you have to hurt me all the time?" She didn't realize that she was almost screaming and that she was already pouring her heart out when she wasn't supposed to.  
  
"..."  
  
"Why?" She tried to stand up, but fell. This time, Rukawa just stood there, and offered no help. He turned to the hallway, as if he wanted to leave.  
  
"..."  
  
Silence. A sad mood hung on the air in the empty hallway. The fluorescent light flickered again, as if responding to the growing sound of the rain outside. Lightning flashed across the sky. From inside the clinic, a sad voice from the radio sang a ballad that went with the rain's melody.  
  
  
Haruko spoke up again, this time, her voice was softer, and could be barely heard, for it was buried within sniffs and wiping of tears.  
  
"All I wanted was for you to notice me, just like all the other girls out there who admire you. I know I'm no different from them, but why..."  
  
"..."  
  
"Why do you have to hurt me so much?"  
  
---------------  
  
Rukawa wanted to kill himself, right then and there. Here he was standing in front of a crying Haruko sitting on the floor.   
  
The question remained, and he had no idea how to answer it.  
  
He couldn't answer it with his gaze, nor with any action. And especially not with any word.  
  
In turn, her words pierced right through him. She made him realize everything. He saw reality in her words. And there was no escape. He was trapped. He wanted to leave, but that would only make her feel worse. He didn't want to stay, either, since it was making him feel terrible.  
  
//Guilty... Angry... Desperate...// Mixed feelings rose inside him.   
  
//Leave.//  
  
//Stay.//  
  
//Leave.//  
  
//Stay.//  
  
//Say something.//  
  
Rukawa opened his mouth to do so. He had nothing in mind to say but he had to. So be it. Let anything happen.  
  
"I..."  
  
"May I help you?"  
  
The door of the clinic suddenly opened and the nurse looked at both of them with a surprised look. Both of them looked with equal surprise.  
  
"Well, I won't be able to do my job if you'll just stand there. Come in," the nurse told them. Haruko stood up on her own and Rukawa simply took a step to the right to make way for her.  
  
"Ah, you look pale. A flu, perhaps?"  
  
Haruko simply nodded. The nurse put her arm around Haruko's shoulders and led her inside the clinic. "Thank you, young man, she'll be fine now," the nurse said with a smile.  
  
"H-hai..." With that, he turned away and left for the gym.  
  
~Tsuzuku~  
------------------------------------------------------- 


	8. Walking in the Rain

A/N: I know, I know. Chapter 6 and 7 really had Rukawa and Haruko too OOC. Unfortunately, I can't go on with the story without stretching thier personalities a little beyond what Inoue-san had given us. Yeah, fized the chaptering, too. Got a little problem with upoading chapter 6, but it's all fixed now.  
-------------------------------------------------------  
Title: In the Rain [8/8]  
Author: Kikiam-sama  
Rating: G  
Description: Haruko forgets to bring her umbrella one rainy afternoon, and then...  
Notes: Inspired from the flu I'm having now and the rains outside... Set in their sophomore year. 'Nuff said.  
  
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue. The characters are only being used for fun. No profit is being earned. Please don't sue me.  
---------------------------------------------------------  
The rain continued. The members of the basketball team didn't realize that it was already past seven because of the darkness.   
  
"Okay, that's a wrap!" Miyagi called, clapping his hands, trying to make himself heard despite the sound of the rain against the ground outside. "Time to go home."  
  
//What a day...// he thought as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel that Ayako handed him. "Aya-chan..." he said with a smile as he watched her walk away.  
  
From the corner of his eye, Miyagi saw Rukawa about to go for the shower rooms and recalled what happened earlier. As captain, he, of course, wanted to know what happened to Haruko.  
  
"Oi, Rukawa," he called.   
  
"Yes?"  
  
"How's Haruko-chan?"  
  
Rukawa didn't answer. Instead, he walked away, leaving a confused Miyagi to find out for himself.  
  
---------------------------  
  
//K'so.//  
  
The last thing he needed was somebody asking about what happened between him and Haruko. He didn't want to show disrespect to any of his sempai, and especially to the captain of the basketball team, but he just wasn't in any mood to talk (well, of course he's never in the mood to talk) about that day's events.  
  
//K'so.//  
  
He simply walked into the locker room. Sakuragi was there to question him.  
  
"Oi, Kitsune! What happened to Haruko-san?" he asked worriedly and angrily.  
  
//Oh, great, another one...// Rukawa simply ignored him and rummaged through his locker for his towel.  
  
"I'm talking to you, Kitsune!"  
  
"Doaho..." he muttered then went into one of the empty shower cubicles, leaving the rest of the team to hold Sakuragi back from hitting him.  
  
He didn't leave the shower until he thought everyone had gone. He stepped out and dressed up. When he was about to open the door, Ayako suddenly entered.  
  
"Rukawa, how's Haruko-chan?"  
  
//Oh, great...// Ayako was standing on the doorway, leaving him no exit.  
  
"Yoohoo, Rukawa! I'm asking you..." Rukawa looked out for the paper fan, which, unfortunately, was still in Ayako's hands. He knew Ayako would hit him with it if he didn't answer right away, but he couldn't talk about what happened. He dind't want anybody to know about it, or even think of it.  
  
"..."  
  
Ayako sighed exasperatedly. "Fine, don't talk." She turned to walk away. "But whatever your problem with Haruko is, better fix it soon." With that, she went off, probably back to the gym to talk to Miyagi.  
  
His problem with Haruko was starting to get obvious. It wasn't surprising that Ayako noticed. She had a good sense of how the people around her felt. But what if the others have already noticed, too?  
  
Things were getting worse and worse...  
  
He knew he should have said something other than a stupid "I can't". He should have done more than just stare at her like a blundering idiot. He could have said sorry or thanks for last week, but no...  
  
He was Rukawa Kaede, after all, the icy ace of the Shohoku High School basketball team.  
  
But couldn't he go just a little more beyond that?   
  
He knew it was cheesy and stupid to admit that Haruko was the first girl that hit him (in many ways) that much. Now, she got him doubting. At the same time, thinking, if he should let things go on that way. Stay cold and quiet. Act like nothing happened, is happening or will happen. Sleep like you're dead and play basketball like you're mad. There was never a place in him for girls. He wasn't gay, of course. The first time he noticed girls in Junior High, he saw them as squealing, screaming and giggling creatures who talk about nothing but make-up and the opposite sex. Since then, that was the only image of girls he had in his mind. Another image he had of females were ones clad in skimpy blue cycling shorts and had paper fans that seem to be glued to their hands. But now he had a new realization.  
  
Haruko was totally different.  
  
Different from those three girls who claim to be his cheering squad and from the lion-hearted and fan-wielding Ayako. He couldn't say what it was that set her apart. She wasn't even anything in between. Kindness, perhaps? Of course, it wasn't her looks. He really didn't know. He couldn't tell.  
  
But it wasn't the burning question on his mind.   
  
//What do I do now?// The events had gone out of hand. Haruko just sort of 'confessed' to him and in the most unthinkable and unimaginable manner. If anyone had seen that scene, that person would probably go off and scream "Rape! Rape!". The events seemed so unlikely. In fact, it was unbelievable that the conversation in the hallway was actually between the two of them.  
  
But still, he thought he was stupid.  
  
He didn't thank her for her help. He didn't apologize to her when he did something wrong.  
  
All of his mistakes had piled up. He had to do something before things get even worse. All he could do now, was to answer Haruko, in some way or another. It was already too late to thank her or say sorry. He had no plans to answer her question a while ago, but he knew he had to respond to the 'confession' she gave him.  
  
But how?  
  
He couldn't think of anything. He may have a lot of tactics on the court, but none in relating to people, and especially in this kind of situation.  
  
//Oh, well...//  
  
He closed the door quietly and walked through the hallway. The rain outside was getting stronger and stronger. He looked at the dark sky from the window and saw nothing but streaks of water splashing against the glass. The moon and the stars were blocked by the clouds, thus, blocking any kind of source of natural light.  
  
It would be very dangerous and lonely to go home alone that night.  
  
--------------------  
  
"Arigatou gozaimasu," Haruko said and bowed with respect to the nurse.  
  
"Hhhmmm... maybe you should call somebody from your house to fetch you," the nurse said worriedly.   
  
"No, I'm fine, thank you." Haruko bowed again. It was already eight o'clock. It wasn't really late, but it was too dark. No one at home was available that night to fetch her from school. Both her mom and dad had to attend a party that night.  
  
"Maybe there's still somebody on campus who could at least walk you to the train station," the nurse thought and bent over to take a peep at the window. "Ah, there's someone!"  
  
Haruko followed the nurse's gaze and saw a tall figure sitting on the stairs of the school's entrance.   
  
"Rukawa-kun?"  
  
"Wasn't he the one with you earlier?" the nurse asked.  
  
"H-hai..." her voice trailed off. She didn't know if she wanted to see Rukawa at that moment. What happened earlier was terrible. She surely didn't want to face him. At the same time, she wanted to know if Rukawa had something to say other than "I can't" about what happened.  
  
In fact, she was quite surprised with herself. She never expected herself to say those words, and she knew nobody would. The words just came out like the rains pouring outside. She didn't expect Rukawa to say something, as well. The events were very unlikely.  
  
She was still partly agnry at him, but this time, she admitted to herself that she still had feelings for him. Unlike before, however, she lost all hope that Rukawa would pay attention to her, or would consider her different from all those other girls who scream whenever they see him. She expected nothing from him now, maybe not even an answer.  
  
"He seems to be waiting for you. Is he your boyfriend or something?"  
  
"IIya da..." Haruko tried to cover the light shade of pink on her cheeks.   
  
"You look really cute together."  
  
"Ah, I'll go home now," Haruko said. She walked towards the door. She felt much better now, but her nose was still a bit clogged.  
  
"I'll walk you to the entrance," the nurse offered and followed Haruko to the door.  
  
----------------  
  
He couldn't understand why he waited thirty minutes for something, rather, someone he wasn't even sure about: Haruko.  
  
//What if she took the other gate?//  
  
//What if she's gone home already?//  
  
He was waiting for her, all right. He wasn't even sure if she'd come. And if she does, what could he do? Stare at her again and make futile attempts to talk? He had absolutely no idea about what he was doing.  
  
"Rukawa-kun?!" a female voice called him form inside the school lobby. It was the nurse, and someone was following her from behind. He wasn't surprised to see that it was Haruko, although it made him quite nervous. The nurse was holding Haruko by the hand, as if almost dragging her.  
  
"Do you need to go home early?" the nurse asked him when they were finally within talking distance. "Your girlfriend here needs a walk home."  
  
He saw Haruko blush, and felt his own cheeks redden as well. The crimson shade visibly contrasted against his pale face. //Shit.// He turned his face away.  
  
The nurse laughed. "I'm just kidding. Hora, hora..." The nurse grabbed Haruko's hand and tried to put it on top of Rukawa's, but he was quick enough to put it in his pocket.  
  
"Take care, you two." With that, the nurse walked back inside the lobby. Leaving the two of them alone.  
  
"I'll go now," Haruko said and opened her umbrella, preparing to walk in the rain. Rukawa wanted her to wait for him, but he couldn't say it. This was probably his last chance. "Ja ashita ne," she added.  
  
"It's dark," were the words that suddenly came out of his mouth. Haruko stopped in her tracks, surprised to hear something from Rukawa. She wasn't expecting him to do anything. So she just looked at him, waiting for whatever he had on his mind.   
  
"Ah, it's nothing..." He still had no idea.  
  
Haruko just nodded and began to walk away. On the other hand, Rukawa just stood there and watched her. He failed again. He wanted to bang his head on the wall for being unable to say anything decent at the chance given to him. He knew he wasn't mute or anything, but why did he have to be so speechless?  
  
//Too late...//  
  
The rain started too lighten.  
  
//No...//  
  
He started to walk, increasing his pace with every minute. It wasn't too late. Not yet, not now... He still had some time. He just couldn't let this chance go.  
  
--------------------  
  
//So I guess that's it...// Haruko shivered as she went past the school gates. She hoped that she wouldn't faint on the way home. Although she was feeling better now, the flu still hadn't completely left her body, and once more, she was feeling its effects. Her nose was a bit runny, and her vision blurred once in a while, but not as often as earlier. Still, she hoped that she had a companion with her, just in case.  
  
Or just someone to keep her company. It was lonely. The usually filled streets of Kanagawa were empty that night, due to the rains that seem to have been pouring endlessly that past week. At the same time, it was so cold. Someone to talk to would also be of help. At least it will keep her mind off the fact that she was feeling feverish.  
  
It was indeed a rainy week. Especially for her.  
  
She wondered at what could have happened if Rukawa did follow the nurse's instructions and walked her home. She then thought that it was downright impossible and useless. In fact, his presence might even make the night much colder... and lonelier.  
  
She knew he wouldn't say or do anything. He'd just stare at her like she was a rock lying on the street. He was as cold as the night, and nothing can really affect his non-existent feelings. It wasn't wrong to have a crush on him, but she shouldn't expect anything anymore.  
  
//I'm not mad. I'm not hurt anymore, either. Just a lesson learned...// This time, she knew she wasn't lying to herself. But still, a very small part of her wished that Rukawa would walk up to her side and walk with her in that cold rainy night.  
  
//That's too much to expect. Wake up, Haruko.//  
  
"Oi."  
  
She stopped and turned to see who the owner of the voice was and felt that her secret wish was granted. Rukawa was standing there, with his umbrella in hand, looking like his cold, usual self. There wasn't really anything different with him.  
  
"Oh, it's you," Haruko tried to say as plainly and as casually as possible.  
  
Rukawa walked towards her. "You okay?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I see."  
  
Haruko couldn't understand what he was trying to do. She started to walk, and Rukawa followed. She increased her pace to lose him, but he increased his pace, as well. She understood, though, because he had to pass by the train station to get to his house. But, was he actually following her? Haruko took a peep. Rukawa was still behind her, probably around a meter away. His gaze seemed to be directed towards the ground.  
  
//Must have fallen asleep aagin...// Haruko thought. She couldn't help but giggle.  
  
She walked on without minding a sleeping Rukawa right behind her. At least, she wasn't that lonely. It was always fun for her to watch people sleep. Finally, she arrived at the train station. She looked around if Rukawa was still behind her, but he was gone. She gave a sigh of relief.  
  
//Finally lost him...// She wasn't sure if she was happy about the thought or not. At least, he was now off her mind. She had to start getting over him. She knew that she'd only end up hurt if she'd continue to love him. There was no hope. She didn't need to hate him, but she just had to give up.  
  
//Unrequited love...//  
  
The rains have lightened to a drizzle, although it was still cold. No matter how much the sun would shine she knew that it was hopeless, like an eternal rainstorm. She shivered again.  
  
She stepped to board a train, thinking about what she should cook for herself. She'd be home alone that night. Perfect. She wanted to be lonely, for some reason. Probably to think things over...  
  
All of a sudden, someone grabbed her hand. She was alarmed, thinking that it was a thief trying to take her money. She turned to look. Upon seeing the person's face, she couldn't decide whether to smile or to frown. She never expected him to come up to her at that very moment.  
  
"It's kinda lonely tonight."  
  
He continued to hold her hand.  
  
His hand was warm, although, he didn't look like it. His face remained still, but his eyes flickered like a soft flame that gave light to the dark night.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
The train began its journey. Haruko heard nothing but the soft chatter of the people and the hummming of the engine. She sat and smiled to herself. She wasn't going to chat with anybody, but at least, she wouldn't be lonely, even just for the trip for someone sat beside her and held her hand. She squeezed it.  
  
Haruko watched the drizzle from the window. The streets were still empty, but she knew that tomorrow would be a sunny day and people would once gain return to their normal activities, just like the way she would. She finally got off the train, and still, he continued to hold her hand, and both of them walked in the rain. Neither one of them was feeling lonely now.  
  
He didn't need to speak, for he had just given all the warmth she needed that could never, ever be expressed in words.  
  
~Owari~  
------------------------------------------- 


End file.
